Along with the development of society, the manpower demand in society has transformed from knowledgebased talentsto applied talents in Chinese Language & Literature (CLL) major. Now the current CLL instruction methodology emphasizes knowledge transference and theories but underestimates hands-on skills and practices, the single teaching model is not conducive to the cultivation of applied talents. To address these concerns, this paper discusses the education reform of CLL under the employment orientation. To cater to social needs, it is proposed to reform the instruction model, stress professional practice teaching, innovate teaching methods, and improve the teachers’ overall quality. The results show that the CLL education reform based on social needs and employment orientation takes aim at more precise cultivation, and is more conducive to nurturing applied talents that adapt to social development and student employment market.